NCCC looks at ways to save
Planning comes in anticipation of state budget cutsBy EMILY HUNKLER, Enterprise Staff Writer
Article Photos
TICONDEROGA - The North Country Community College Board of Trustees brainstormed ideas on saving money during Tuesday's meeting in light of a possible $250 million reduction to localities that state legislators will be voting on this session.
According to interim President Fred Smith, the localities fund is where community colleges get their state aid. In this case, it is projected that NCCC would lose nearly $160,000.
"We can't rest on our laurels and say, 'That's fine, it hasn't passed yet,'" Smith said. "If it doesn't pass today, it very possibly could after the election."
Smith summarily stated that the college is far from having a concrete plan on how to cut costs and where to find money if budget cuts start to affect the college directly, as he anticipates.
"We are not even in the preliminary stage in terms of how we are going to save money," Smith said. "We need to be there. Even if there are no budget cuts now, the future does not look good for community colleges."
Four-day week
Smith said officials have abandoned the idea of switching to a four-day week of classes in order to save commuter students money in gas, allow working students an extra day a week to work and possibly shutting down buildings to save on energy costs.
"We have concluded that we will not go to a four-day schedule," Smith said.
Smith noted, as had been said during previous discussions on this issue, that students are already able to create their own four-day schedule and business students are able to create a three-day schedule with ease.
Smith noted that only 43 of the 348 classes offered this fall are held on Fridays.
As for cutting down energy costs, Smith said it would not be substantial.
"Because of our antiquated and inefficient facilities here, there are not going to be a lot of savings for closing one building," he said.
Rockefeller report
Many ideas on how to save money have been discussed in recent months at the college, including a report requested by state Sen. Betty Little that looked into the possibility of combining NCCC with Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh. The report, by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, SUNY's public policy research arm, found that full consolidation would not be beneficial or possible in the near future but that further collaboration between the two could help save money.
"I think it is fair to say that it has faded into the sunset," Smith said. "However, the intent of the Rockefeller report I don't think will ever fade."
Smith noted that he will be meeting with CCC's interim president, Fred Woodward, to discuss further collaboration between the two colleges.
Swimming pool
Another cost-cutting measure the board had discussed at past meetings and again Tuesday was the possibility of closing the pool.
"There is no current plan to close the pool," Smith said. "We are still looking at the swimming pool issue - the actual usage and actual costs - to see if we can do a better job at generating revenue for the pool to make it a break-even operation."
Many trustees were in favor of raising the admission cost of the pool in order to generate more money. The pool, located in the Sparks Athletic Complex on the Saranac Lake campus, is free for students to use. However, non-students wishing to use it must pay either a daily, semester or annual fee. Currently, the daily rate charges those over 15 years old $7, seniors and children $4 and families pay $20. No exact amounts were decided, although fees as high as $10 were suggested.
"That would be easy," Trustee Rose Marie Viscardi said. "That seems like a very modest price."
Trustee Gerald Blair was also in favor of more community contribution.
"This may need to become part of the plan," Blair said. "We ought to break even, somehow, some way."
Contact Emily Hunkler at 891-2600 ext. 24 or ehunkler@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
